Title says it all. BP827 battery will not operate my XA-20. I have tried more than one, so it's not a battery issue. Not thrilled with this development.

Bummer. Looks like they're running the BP828s now.

Yeah this sucks, especially since you can't even buy the larger 828 battery anywhere yet. I haven't received my XA20 yet, hope to by the end of the week. This news though is a real bummer. I will be heading off on a hiking trip in a couple of weeks & will need extra batteries. Hopefully I can source some before I leave!
Bryce

Nate, thanks for saving me a few steps by mentioning the battery model #, very much apppreciated.

Disregard post.

J&R had two of the batteries, I bought one. The original battery is not bad, lasts about 150 minutes, which makes is a good secondary battery.

Are there any batteries for the XA20 that cost less than $150.00?

In what respect do the XA10 batteries not fit the XA20?
Is it all, or jsut some batteries?
How about the third party batteries?
Is it a mater of a bit of extra plastic, or is ther some other more significant issue?
Do XA20 batteries fit the XA10?

I purchased a BP820 battery which is one which will power the G30/XA20, and I tried it in my G10. It works perfectly in the G10.

It seems that even though the batteries that power the G10 are physically the same size/voltage/contacts, etc..... , Canon must have created in the G30/XA20 the ability to know the difference and to reject the older batteries. Why, is anybody's guess. I hate to think Canon is simply maximizing profits by limiting our options, but such is the nature of modern business I'm afraid.

I can verify what Tom has reported. XA-20 batteries are backward compatible. When you look them up they are listed as being suitable for a long list of cameras. The XA-10 batteries, when used in an XA20, cause the camera to display a message such as "battery not compatible" and then it shuts down.

Thanks guys. I guess its top dollar price to have an extra battery which I got to have. I've always had good results with aftermarket batteries that cost 1/3 of Canons price. I'm not sure if 2 batteries is gonna cut it for a wedding and reception shoot.

I forgot to add that I found a third party battery that works in my G30 from ebatts.com. I don't know the longevity or the quality yet but this battery(B-9679H) functions perfectly in my G30. It seems to be the equivalent of the battery which comes with the G30, and it's under $50 U.S., depending on shipping charges.
Hopefully this vendor will have a larger capacity one available in the near future.

Sooo... any further info on how that ebatts.com battery worked for you in your G30? I'm about to pull the trigger on this one:

VIXIA HF G30 Battery for Canon Camcorder ? Li-Ion 4 Cell, 7.4 V, 1.78 Ah ? B-9679H ? eBatts.com (http://www.ebatts.com/canon_vixia-hf-g30_camcorder_batteries_part_b-9679h.aspx)

Thanks!
Deb

For those of using the XA20/25 but have avoided buying a backup battery due to the high cost, here's an alternative you might consider. You can buy a 12volt DC - 110/120 volt AC power inverter( from sources like Radio Shack, Amazon, and ebay), then plug it into a 12 volt battery belt or pack (and many of you may still have these lying around because you're now using an on camera LED light that gets power from a camera battery rather than from a battery belt). Then just plug your XA20/25 power adapter into the outlet on your power inverter and voila--you've got all the power you'll need. I've been using this setup to record 3 hour+ football games and it works like a charm (I'm using a NiMH battery belt from Armato's, but 12v lead acid or NiCad battery belts/packs should work as well. Test yours first to see how long it will power the XA20/25). The main drawback to this setup is the extra bulk and weight involved but for tripod shooting where a wall outlet is unavailable it works great.

The ebatts battery they list for the XA20 and 25 does not work. They send a BP-819.

How about this one from BestBatts?

BP-828 Intelligent Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery for Canon VIXIA HF G30, XA20, and XA25 Camcorders - BestBatt.com (http://www.bestbatt.com/Canon-BP-828-Battery-p/bbbp828.htm)

Anyone tried these yet?

Thanks!
Deb

I am about to give them a try (ordering today).
The positive sign is they list the BP828 and XA20/25 specifically.
Probably be a week to 10 days before I have an answer.

I forgot to add that I found a third party battery that works in my G30 from ebatts.com. I don't know the longevity or the quality yet but this battery(B-9679H) functions perfectly in my G30. It seems to be the equivalent of the battery which comes with the G30, and it's under $50 U.S., depending on shipping charges.
Hopefully this vendor will have a larger capacity one available in the near future.

UPDATE:
Was in Colorado recently and grabbed that third party battery for my G30, and guess what........
The camera reported that it was not compatible......even though it had worked ok when I used it before????
I will stick to Canon Batteries for now. I wonder if this is a trend of manufacturers.......to lock us in to original manuf batteries.

There seems to be two seperate threads running concerning much the same issue, the other being :
XA20 Third Party Battery.

How about this one from BestBatts?

BP-828 Intelligent Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery for Canon VIXIA HF G30, XA20, and XA25 Camcorders - BestBatt.com (http://www.bestbatt.com/Canon-BP-828-Battery-p/bbbp828.htm)

Anyone tried these yet?

Thanks!
Deb


Yep. All I can tell you is it works in XA20. I will know how well after this weeks wedding.

I did end up buying the Batteries and Battery Chargers - Laptop Batteries, Digital Camera Batteries, Camcorder Batteries, Data Cables, Power Adapters - BestBatt.com (http://www.BestBatts.com) battery and charger for my G30. It should arrive in a couple of days and I'll let you all know how it goes.

Deb

Two of the BP-828 equivalents and the charger arrived yesterday from BestBatt. They were ordered on-line on Sunday, and received Wednesday, shipped from NJ at the free shipping (slow) rate to northern VA.

Charged one for a couple hours until the charger light changed to green, and charged the other ovenight. Both in the charger from BestBatt (not in the camcorder.)

Both powered up the XA20 in camera mode and showed about 185 minutes battery tiime on the display, but that may or may not be reflective of actual performance capability. (I have heard that sometimes the remaining charge indicators need to reset with use. In any case it is roughly proportional to the time reported by the camcorder for a freshly charged Canon BP820.)

I have not yet had a chance to use them beyond checking that the camcorder accepts them (at least once each).

The charger external appearance and label specs are identical to the Wasabi charger (except for the branding labels). Both have molded BP808,etc. in the case plastic and identical thumb grip checkering on the case.

The batteries external apparance is identical to the Wasabi BP-827 equivalent, except for the labeling. The size and weight are the same within typical low cost Asian import manufacturing tollerances (weights within one gram).

Thanx Don,

Be interested to know a bit later after you've "field tested" these, just to see if they do indeed keep getting recognised by the camera.

I would presume that if the camera recognises them ok, then they should also charge in the camera.

I did end up buying the Batteries and Battery Chargers - Laptop Batteries, Digital Camera Batteries, Camcorder Batteries, Data Cables, Power Adapters - BestBatt.com (http://www.BestBatts.com) battery and charger for my G30. It should arrive in a couple of days and I'll let you all know how it goes.

Deb

Arrived today from Batteries and Battery Chargers - Laptop Batteries, Digital Camera Batteries, Camcorder Batteries, Data Cables, Power Adapters - BestBatt.com (http://www.BestBatts.com) with slowest shipping possible selected and pleased to see my G30 recognized it and showed a charge of 221 minutes straight out of the box. Field testing it tonight outside at a cold football game and just letting it run for as long as it goes and then recharging it with the wall/car charger I bought with it. Brand name is "Kapaxen" on both. Pretty excited.

Deborah

Don and/or Deborah

Any updates on these batteries from BestBatt? ... assuming that you have been able to put in some camera time with them.

Derek I can tell you I used the BP-828 for several hours and it never went down. I started out the day on the Canon BP-820 and when it died I put in the 828 from BestBatt and it lasted the rest of the day and through the reception. I'm happy.

Good deal. Looks like I will be placing an order for a couple batteries.

I just bought one for now. That will get me by until the Wasabi batteries come out. Looks like Wasabi sells them in pairs with a charger for cheap and from what I can tell they have a pretty good reputation.

I ordered two this morning. Within an hour I got a notice that they had shipped. I should be able to put them to the test over the next few weeks.

I ordered two on Thursday and they showed up on Saturday. Very quick shipping. I put them both on the charger, which they must have been pre-charged as they were each not on the charger maybe 10 minutes and showed full. Tested them each on camera. Both powered up just fine. On showed 168 minutes, the other 182 minutes of run time. I will shoot some video with them in the coming week or two.

I put them both on the charger, which they must have been pre-charged as they were each not on the charger maybe 10 minutes and showed full. Tested them each on camera. Both powered up just fine. On showed 168 minutes, the other 182 minutes of run time. I will shoot some video with them in the coming week or two.

Same with me about it appearing to be "pre-charged." Mine has been showing about 180 minutes fully charged and it is definitely delivering. VERY happy with this battery so far and I've used it for a couple of all-day live events now.

Deborah

Hi, just wondering if everyone who purchased these batteries still have positive results (or any issues) now that it has been a couple more months? Was thinking of getting these ... or are the Wasabis out now?

Thanks,
Tim

This battery is still doing great and going strong for me. I was a little leary at first because I hadn't heard of the company before, but I'm very happy with it and recommend it.

Good luck!
Deborah

This battery is still doing great and going strong for me. I was a little leary at first because I hadn't heard of the company before, but I'm very happy with it and recommend it.

Good luck!
Deborah

Great, thanks so much for that valuable feedback, Deborah. I DID see that Wasabi's version is now appearing on Amazon. You can get two batteries and a charger for a little over $80, which is a slightly better deal than the ones on BestBatt.

Do you, or does anyone else, have an opinion on the Wasabi's? I got the general impression that they were highly regarded from reading a few posts here. Seems like that may be the way to go if that is indeed the case.

Take care,
Tim

I wanted to get the Wasabi's batteries but couldn't wait so I got them from Bestbatt. No troubles so far.

If I were you I would get the two batteries and charger combo, seems like a good deal.

The main issue with low cost after market/3rd party batteries is going to be quality control. You can expect to see a somewhat higher risk of early failure or premature aging and perhaps some advertising overstatement. For most users it will not be a significant issue. For a few it will. It all boils down the how much risk can you tolerate.

Thanks to both Tim and Don. Seems like the Wasabis are a better deal AND minimize that risk somewhat as I believe they have a longer track record. Will let you know how it turns out. Thanks again, everyone!

Best regards,
Tim

I have been using mine for a couple months now with no issues. Mine have been used in below freezing conditions repeatedly and in and out of warm to bitter cold temperatures. No issues at all. They hold their charge well and power the camera with zero issues.

I have been using mine for a couple months now with no issues. Mine have been used in below freezing conditions repeatedly and in and out of warm to bitter cold temperatures. No issues at all. They hold their charge well and power the camera with zero issues.

Fantastic, thanks. Sounds like they are equally amazing quality. Good to know there are at least two good alternatives to the brand name now. Thanks again.

-Tim

I have had a Canon HF-S30 (BP808 and BP819 batteries) for some time, and now I have bought a XA20 with two BP820 batteries. Thanks to this thread, I know that I cannot use my 808/819s on the new camera, but what about chargers?

I have a LEMIX branded charger for the 808/819 batteries. The new 820 will fit, but is it safe to charge them with this charger?

Thanks for any one's experiences here.

I think I have my own answer here!

Both cameras are supplied by Canon with the same CA570 Compact Power Adaptor. So I guess that my LEMIX charger will do the job.

I suspected as much. I have used a couple of different chargers on my XA20 batteries and they worked fine, but I prefer to charge on camera when I can, old habits die hard!

Can anyone verify if the Wasabi BP-828's will work with the G20's. I thought I read that the newer batteries were backwards compatible, but not vice-versa (older batts to new cams like the XA20/25).

HOWEVER, I believe this was for Canon originals ... although it seems like it would be the same for the Wasabi's, but can anyone verify please?

Thanks,
Tim

PS> I have been using the Wasabi's I bought back in Feb. without any issue ... they are great!! The two-pack with charger is a great deal.

for under $ 50

Amazon.com : Wasabi Power Battery for Canon BP-828 and Canon VIXIA HF G30, XA20, XA25 : Camcorder Batteries : Camera & Photo (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G4H7VLY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

I used it on my G30 fro my first wedding and I did not have to change battery. I had 67 minutes battery and and a little over 2 1/2 hours of footage.

for under $ 50

Amazon.com : Wasabi Power Battery for Canon BP-828 and Canon VIXIA HF G30, XA20, XA25 : Camcorder Batteries : Camera & Photo (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G4H7VLY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

I used it on my G30 fro my first wedding and I did not have to change battery. I had 67 minutes battery and and a little over 2 1/2 hours of footage.

But unless you can't afford it, or REALLY don't want another battery for some reason, a better deal is: Wasabi Power Battery (2-Pack) and Charger for Canon BP-828 and Canon VIXIA HF G30, XA20, XA25 (http://www.amazon.com/Wasabi-Power-Battery-2-Pack-Charger/dp/B00GRDLR8I/ref=pd_cp_p_0)

You get two batteries AND a charger for less than twice the price, and it is Prime eligible. Actually got mine for sub-$70.

I haven't shot video for a couple months so this past weekend while I was getting my camera gear ready, I charged up batteries. One of my units that I bought last October from BestBatt isn't taking a charge. The other seems fine, but I cannot get the one to take a charge both trough the camera or using my wall charger.

I see that they have a one year warranty, so I am going to test out their customer service department.

Time to order a couple Wasabi units however just in case.

Well to BestBatt's credit, I sent them an email and they issued me an RA# and claim that they will replace it. Sending the battery out later today, so keeping my fingers crossed that all will be good.

That's good to hear Derek,

I too took advantage of a couple of the Canon compatable batteries from BestBatts, but so far haven't had a problem with them, thankfully.

As they are now nearly a year old, if I should encounter any failures with them, I would replace them with the Wasabi ones, as I've used this brand before, in a Sony Camcorder and they are still going strong over 5 years later.

( The Wasabi Canon XA20 compatable ones were not available at the time I purchased the BesttBatts )

A significant differentiator among batteries, beyond the cost of a brand name and waranty, is the level of quality control (QC) applied during manufacture. But QC costs money, so the end result is poitentially higher failure rates for lower cost batteries. Individual batteriues may do well, but thare will likely be an overall higher percentage failing prematurly. If you can tolerate the increased risk, you can save money.

Regarding my BestBatt battery replacement. Yesterday I received a replacement battery in the mail from BestBatt. Just under a week for turn around, pretty fast. The battery was pre-charged and I put it on the camera and everything worked fine. So in a nut shell, I'm pretty happy with the service of BestBatt.